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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Fraud email example:

From: "Jones Harth" <jonesharth@flashmail.com>
Reply-To: jonesharth12@yahoo.it
Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2005 15:11:32 +0100
Subject: Reply back

Dear Friend,

I am Barrister Jones Harth, a solicitor at law. I am the
personal attorney to Mr. Fred Soto, a National of your
country who works with a Petroleum Company here in London
and he is known and referred to as my Client. On the 21st of
April 1999, my client (Mr. Fred Soto) died of Heart Attack
here in London. Unfortunately he had no wife and no kids due
to the fact that he was an impotent. Since then, I have made
several enquires to his embassy to locate any of my clients
extended relatives but all my efforts proved unsuccessful
and to no avail. After these unsuccessful attempts failed to
locate any member of his relatives, I decided to track any
foriegner in the Internet that I will present as his
relative, hence I contacted you.

Now my contacts to you is to assist me in repatriating his
estate in London and the money which he deposited in a
financial institution here in London, before the money will
be confiscated or declared unserviceable by the financial
institutiom where he deposited this money valued at about
US$6million (Six Million United States Dollars only) More
importantly, the Finance Company where the deceased, my
client deposited these huge sums of money has served me a
write of notice to provide the NEXT OF KIN of my client or
the deposit (his money) will be confiscated.

Since I have tried and failed on several occasions in
locating his relatives I am now seeking for your consent to
present you as the Next of Kin to the deceased since you are
a foriegner, so that the money will be paid to you as my
client Next of Kin and then we can share the money on a
mutual agreed percentage. All legal documents to back up
your claim as the deceased Next of Kin, will be provided.

All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see
this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed
under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from
any breach of the law.

Please to enable us discuss further about this transaction,
kindly reply to me back through my confidential email
address as I will only welcome reply that comes through this
email address: jonesharth12@yahoo.it

I await your urgent response to this message.

Yours sincerely,
Barrister Jones Harth.

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